sickness benefits?

Nual

Hoping for some information here.

My daughter ( 22) had some freelance work starting last September, and soon after starting became ill with what was eventually diagnosed as viral meningitis. She continued working , taking antibiotics, and the work finished in late December. She applied for JSA and HB (the HB still hasnt come through) then got a chest infection which wouldnt lift, and has now been diagnosed with a second bout of meningitis.

The hospital Drs and her GP have told her that her immune system is comprimised and that she must rest, eat well etc while they try to find out what is going on. They have offered to write her sick notes but she has refused as she is going for interviews, being sent to job fairs etc by jobcentre and is worried that her benefits will never get sorted out/ sanctioned.

I am naturally very worried about her and her long term health. Apparently viral meningitis can take 6-8 months to recover from. What would happen re JSA / HB if she did submit a sick note?

Torry_Quine

Nual wrote: »

Hoping for some information here.

My daughter ( 22) had some freelance work starting last September, and soon after starting became ill with what was eventually diagnosed as viral meningitis. She continued working , taking antibiotics, and the work finished in late December. She applied for JSA and HB (the HB still hasnt come through) then got a chest infection which wouldnt lift, and has now been diagnosed with a second bout of meningitis.

The hospital Drs and her GP have told her that her immune system is comprimised and that she must rest, eat well etc while they try to find out what is going on. They have offered to write her sick notes but she has refused as she is going for interviews, being sent to job fairs etc by jobcentre and is worried that her benefits will never get sorted out/ sanctioned.

I am naturally very worried about her and her long term health. Apparently viral meningitis can take 6-8 months to recover from. What would happen re JSA / HB if she did submit a sick note?

She can claim ESA rather than JSA and in the assesement stage is the same amount. This will be straightforward as her GP is willing to write a fit-note (sick-note). After approx 13 weeks (though usually longer) then she would be assessed as to whether she could stay on ESA and which of two groups she would be placed in. She would still be able to get HB as long as they are informed of her status financially.

specialboy

I had viral meningitis at 15 and was in hospital for two weeks and back at school after a further two with no problems, four weeks in total so try not to panic too much.

Poppie68

While i understand the chances of passing on the virus is low, should she really be attending interviews etc and potentially passing it on to someone else who may be suffering from a low immune system due to health problems? As i say i understand the chances are low but it can still happen....but basically for her own health she should take the doctors advice and take it easy, as others have said she can apply for ESA, she will need to get a fit note and send it off.
ESA will give her time to recover and also spend her time researching jobs without the stress of having to sign on etc.

Hope she gets better soon.

Indie_Kid

You can have two periods of sickness lasting two weeks each per year whilst on JSA.

ispookie666

Does not sound like viral meningitis - more like a chronic bacterial meningitis ie TB meningitis to me. Everyone is different, but people get back to their normal lives after meningitis.

PS: I'm a medic